Game board for simulating a card game



Patented Feb. 20, 1951 GAME BOARD FOR .SIMULATING A CARD GAME Guy c. Hy1anq,r1ainfie1d, 1N. J. Application December 28, 1948, Serial N o. 67,589

6 Claims. (CLN3- 130) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in games, and, more particularly, the

laim is to Vprovide a novel and valuable game the scientic playing of which calls for a high degree of skill. The new game, while playable bychildren, is especially of intriguing interest to adults, because, among other advantages, it involves some of the principles characteristic of the card game known as auction bridge and yet at the same time it differs in various respects from the latter game.

A feature of the new game, further, is that,

while it has the attributes just stated, and so is adapted to afford hours of relaxation to the players as well as exciting intervals resulting from the hazards ventured b'y a player and the uncertainties of the ensuing scoring results, the game for its playing does not require the use of `a deck of playing cards, but, on the contrary, employs a game board and game pieces in `the na.- ture of disks or the like.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a Inaterial part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the game board in a now favored embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of said board, and particularly showing that one of four like substantially triangular sections thereof (each of these sections ,for one of four players) at the bottom of the board as seen Vin Fig. 1.

'IIS

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, Ataken on the .line

3-3 of Fig. l.

Figs. 4-A, 4-'B, 4-C and 4-D, taken together, show the full complement of gaine pieces provided; each of these four views showing the variously numerically marked obverse sides of one of the four different sets of `game pieces, with the pieces of each set suitably distinguished from the pieces of any other set, as by coloring said pieces as indicated.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing a game piece in one of the forms which it may assume, that is, in the form of a disk.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing a game piece in another of the forms which it may assume, that is, in the formof a short cylinder.

Referring to Fig. 1, a game board, `marked I0, has at its center what is called Ithe pot Il, this surrounded by a beading I2 to provide a cup-like holder for a suitable amount of token or stage 1,- money, as to altotal of $750, made up of tokens simulating `actual coins or bills of different cle-.- nominations.

Four diagonal markings extend from the cor.- ners Yof the pot I l to the .corners of the board, ytheleb?,7 subdividzn the ilDPer `face of the late ter into four like substantially triangular ,sections I4. l5, l5 and Il, each ci such sections being assigned to a diiiefent one 0f four Players.- g `As all said sections are alike, it will suffice to describe in .detail merely one c f them; and in this connection .newI referring t0 the section I4 and particularly to Fig. 2, it will be noted that said section i4 has various areas marked off thereon. as by imprintnss as illustrated. and scribed with the notations .next to be mention d. '.'lhese notations, repeated on all the four Asec-.- tions, are not reproduced at the .sections l5, iii and H .in Fis. l, to avoid confusion in that view. Thus, adjacent to the not Il, is a Played area lil; and suitably displaced iromwthe area le are ,a Last ranking area I S, a Declared counts" area 2l), a Countsfvalue area 2l, a Rules lof play Varea 22, a portion .of the board `arranged to `constitute a receptor 23 for game pieces `of `the player at the section I4, and a portion of the board Aarranged .to constitute a receptor :24 for such of his game pieces as constitute what are called non-counters- AThe area 2o is .provided -with markings indicating Vcolor of discs of -four rows, ve of each, which are yto be played from area 23 to area 2li and placed on the color mark -ings according to the players hand. l

The board Il)A is so made that the receptor "23 is downwardly outwardly inclined away from `the center of the board and toward the player at vthe section, and so that the receptor 24 is .downwardly inwardly inclined toward the center of the board. T-hus, for reasons which will become clear in a moment, any game piece in the receptor .23 is hidden from the `observation .of all the players at the other three sections, while any game `pieces in the receptor 2d are in posi.-

`tion to vbe seen and noted atall times by all players. The board can be made oi plastic, `stamped metal, papier-mch, or of any other suitable material and in any convenient way.

A total of gaine pieces is used; these shown inv Figs. Ll-A, ll-.B, l-C and 4-D. Each player when a game starts will have, for placement in his receptorv23, 20 game pieces, chosen by him blindly, that is, after all `the `80 game pieces, `with their reverse sides uppermost, have been scat-v tered over the upper surface of the board I0; so that their obverse sides are hidden. One of the players rst thus selects his 20 game pieces; then the next player to his left selects his 20 game pieces; and so on all around the board.

As indicated by the different conventionalr ones; `but as herein indicated the game pieces of 10.

pieces of the four suitsare shown in the draw-` ings as Afully extended to the margins of their obverse sides, preferably 4this coloration is not actually that much extended, to avoid the chance of a detection of the suit of a game piece when it is upside down.

Each suit of pieces carries, as shown, on its obverse or colored side, a numerical indicium; and each suit comprises four pieces carrying the indicium 1, four carrying the indicium 2, four carrying the indicium 3, four carrying the indicium 4, and four carrying the indicium 5.

The pieces all may be, for instance, disks, as shown in Fig. 5, or short cylinders, as shown in Fig. 6.

When a players pieces are chosen, he will place them in his receptor 23, and arrange them therein in such manner as to let him always determine at a glance, not only their colors, but also their numerical values, and so theywill be placed in said receptor with their data carrying faces uppermost. To allow arranging the pieces and retaining them as so arranged, in logically related positions, the receptor 23 may have, as shown, formations to assist in such arrangementand maintenance.V Said formations may be ledges, depressions or the like; those shown being shallow recesses 25 of circular outline. When these recesses are present, the type of game piece shown in Fig. 6 will be desirable, to allow easy taking out of a selected one from its recess. Where thev surface of the receptor 23 is plane, or where, in lieu of the recesses 25, arcuate ledges or depressions are provided, as crescent-shaped ones with the horns of the crescents upstanding, the type of game piece shown in Fig. 5 will be preferable. From now on, the game pieces will be called disks.

In preparation for starting a game, desirably present also will be a score pad for recording thereon the bids and the scorings.

One player will be the starting player, or

starter, and he may be chosen in any way, as by .the flip of a coin. The starter will be the rst one to choose blindly 20 disks for placement in his receptor 23. The next player tothe left next chooses blindly his 20 disks; and so on all around the board.

Bidding now starts, and the highest bidder names the color that will be the ranking color The starter makes the rst bid, and the others bid in the order last mentioned. Each player determines what the numerical value of his bid shall be, by totalling the numerical values individual to his disks. An opening bid must be at least 40. With each pair of opposite players partners, that one of a pair of partners first bidding endeavors to advise his partner of the total -ofthe numerical values of all the bidders disks in his receptor 23. This the bidder does by adding the value "1 to each of the totals of l0 that are included in the numerical total of all his disks less the requirement for an opening bid, that is, less than 40. starters disks add up to a total of 25, his first bid would be 43, thereby advising his Vpartner that he holds disks to a numerical total of about Then the player next to the starters left bids. If he holds disks aggregating in numerical values a Vtotal of 40, his bid would be 47; thereby advising his partner that such numerical aggregation is about 40. After all the players have bid or passed, thestarter, for his second bid, estimates the number of declared counters his set of disks will have if `he vnames the ranking color, plus the number of disks he, and his partner will be able .toV take in during the playing of the disks, and bids accordingly. YThe other players continue in thev same manner, until one ofthe players becomes the highest bidder. Once a player passes he cannot continue the bidding. The highestV bid is now recorded on the scorepad, and the highest bidder names the ranking color.

As to each player, said declared counters are placedV on the area 2U of that Vplayers play section, so far as heV can do so pursuant tc the disks he has in his receptor 25. The four totals of such declared counters are recorded on the score pad. Y

Next the highest bidder selects any/one of his ranking color disks and places it on the area I9 of his play section. y

The various players now engage in a series of trick-taking contests, each trick being played'by a player selecting one of his disks, from his re i ceptor 23 or from his area 2t, and placing said selected disk on his area i8. On eachrsection, a runway simulating guide 26 is provided along which may be slidingly shifted disks ,from the receptor 23 to the area 20 to arrange them on said area 20 as declared counters as already mentioned; another such guideway 2l extends from the area 20 to the area I8; a branch guide- Way 28 extends from the guideway 21 to the area i9; and a guideway 29, this shown as having a rib or beading 30 along each of its opposite sides, extends from the receptor 23 to thefarea Hi8.

During the playing of each trick, each player may put in play a single disk, either from his receptor 2 3 or his area 20.Y On each trick, the highest bidder plays rst by placing one of his disks on his area IB. When all four players have thus acted, the playing of a trick is completed. The player whose thus placed-disk is of theranking color and carries the highest number, Ywins the trick. Disks of the rankingicclor out rankall disks of other colors, and if two or more disks of theY ranking color are played, thedisk ofthe ranking color carrying the highest-number out ranks all other disks played. Y

Also during the playing of each trick, all players following the rst play of the highest bidder must play a disk'of the samel color as led or played by a preceding player, and a disk of higher For example, if theV usuch values the numerical total of all 'the' disks `accumulated from trick taking is important,` and since such total has to be compared with the numerical total represented by the aforesaid "de- 'blared counts, or highest bid, that also is important. Also, the scoring values attainable by hav- `fing in the trick-taken disks as many as possible 'of one or more ranks and/or sets of numbers and/or little ranks and/or big ranks and/or "'sets of ranking numbers and/or sets of Il and `5 "(all of which quoted expressions will be later explained), is quite important. The playing of the disks, therefore, has to be made as shrewdly and scientifically as possible.

Use of the disks as counters: All disks numbered 3, "4 or 5 are counters in `the play;

-and after each trick, the winner ci the trick takes up all four counters in the'four areas i8 -a-nd places all-fourof them on his area 25.. These are allowed to accumulate in the one cr more a JAfterthe tricks have `been played, the disks 1 in each of all or several or one or two of the areas 20 are separately tctaledand thus tallied on the score pad; and it is determined whether the highest bidding partners 'were successful in making their bid by comparing-such tota-l with the total of the declared counts.

If Athe play-earned total equals or exceeds the declared counts, `or highest bid, and if the play-earned totalexceeds 2li or more, the highest bidder takes out of the pot Il one dollar for veach l additively included in the play earned total.

If the highest bidder and his partner failed to make the declared counts, or were not Vsuccessful in attaining a play-earned total of 20 or more, they put into the pot l l one dollar for each l additively included in the declared counts total.

After the playing of the first trick, that is, after the iirst round, the second round and the ones subsequent thereto are all played as explained for the playing of the rst round. The starter on each of these rounds is the player to the left of the starter on the preceding round.

The play continues until one side has removed $500 from the pot il. At this point, the highest bidder takes money first out of the pot. The side that rst takes $500 out of the pot, takes all the remaining money in the pot. Then each side places $500 in the pot, and the game continues.

Rank.-One set of ranks consists of five disks all o1- the color declared by the highest bidder, with these disks respectively bearing the Sets of numbcrs.-Four disks all of the same number, but all of different colors. (Numbers in a rank may be combined to make a set of numbers.)

A little rank.-This consists of a set of two disks respectively numbered 1 and 2, each of a different color.

A big rank.-This consists of a set of four disks 'respectively numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, each of a different color.

Sets of ranking numbers;"-Each such set consists of a pair of disks respectively numbered 4 and 5, both of the color declaredby the highest bidder. (Such disks, used to make a rank, cannot be also used for the making of a set of ranking numbers.) v

Sets of 4 and 5.-E`ach such set consists of a disk numbered 4 and a disk numbered 5 of a color or colors other than the ranking color.

Special scoring values may be assigned to each of a rank, a set of numbers, a little rank, a big rank, a set of ranking numbers, and. a set of 4 and 5."

While I have illustrated and describedthe preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself tothe precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and .modifications coming within the vscope of the invention as de- -lned in the appended claims.

Having `thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire :to secure by United States Letters Patent is: i

l. In a game having a polygonal board formed at the center thereof with a .'pot, the board having its face divided into `a plurality of triangular playing sections extended radially from the pot with one playing section adjacent each side ofthe board, each of said sections comprising a receptor adjacent the outer side -of the playing section, a second receptor .adjacent the outer side ofthe playing 'section and to one side of said rst receptor, a played areaimprinted on the `face of said .section radially inward of said vrst receptor, and a Declared counts area imprinted on the face of said "section between said iirst receptor and said Played area and :slightly to `oneside of said rst receptor -on the 'samefside thereof on which `said second receptor fis located.

2. In a game having a polygonal board formed at .the center thereof with a pot, the board hav'- ing its face `divided into a pluralityof triangular playingsections extended radially'from `the pot with `one playing section adjacent each side of the board, each Vof `said sections comprising-a receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section, a second receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section and to one side of said first receptor, a Played area imprinted on the face of said section radially inward of said first receptor, and a Declared counts area imprinted on the face of said section between said rst receptor and said Played area and slightly to one side of said rst receptor on the same side thereof on which said second receptor is located, said first receptor being downwardly and outwardly inclined and said second receptor being downwardly inwardly inclined.

3. In a game having a polygonal board formed at the center thereof with a pot. the board having its face divided into a plurality of triangular playing sections extended radially from the pot with one playing section adjacent each side of the board, each of said sections comprising a receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section, a second receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section and to one side of said rst receptor, a Played area imprinted on the face of said section radially inward of said rst receptor, a Declared counts area imprinted on the face of said section between said rst receptor and said Played area and slightly to one side of said rst receptor on the same side thereof on which said second receptor is located, and a plurality of shallow recesses formed in said rst receptor. 1 Y

' 4. In a game having a polygonal board formed atrthe center thereof with a pot,'the board having its face divided into a plurality of triangular playingl sections extended radially from the pot'with one playing section adjacent each side of the board, each of said sections comprising a receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section, a second receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section and to one side of said first receptor, a Played area imprinted on the face of said section radially inward of said first receptor, a Declared counts area imprinted on the face of said section between said rst receptor and said Played area and slightly to one side ,of Said first receptor on the same side thereof on which said second receptor is located, a runway connecting said rst receptor and said Declared counts area, a second runway connecting said Declared counts area and said Played area,

and a third runway connecting said PlayedV area and said rst receptor.

5. In a game having a polygonal board formed at the center thereof with a pot, the board having its face divided into a plurality of triangular playing sections extended radially from the Y pot with one playing section adjacent each side ofthe board, eachof said sections comprising a receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section, a second receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section and to one side of said iirst Y receptor, a Played area imprinted on the face of said section radially inward of said rst receptor, a Declared counts area imprinted -on the face of said section between said rst receptor and said Played area and slightly to one'side Vof said first receptor on the same side thereof on 'and said first receptor, and upstanding ribs formedralong the sides of said third runway between said Played area and said rst receptor.

side ofthe board, each of said sections comprising a receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section, a second receptor adjacent the outer side of the playing section and to one side of said first receptor, a Played area imprinted on the face of said section radially inward of said rst receptor, a Declared counts area imprinted on the face of said section between said rst receptor and said Played area and slightly to one side of said rst receptor on the same side thereof on which said second receptor is located, a runway connecting said rst receptor and said Declared counts area, a second runway connecting said Declared counts area and said Played area, a third runway connecting said Played area and said first receptor, a Last ranking area imprinted on said section radially REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 522,704 Castleow July 10, 1894 580,253 Clarke Apr. 6, 1897 956,827 Rieth May 3, 1910 984,463 Beltran Feb. 14, 1911 1,486,983 McDonald Mar. 18, 1924 1,503,142 Sussles July`29, 1924 2,313,473 Heacock Mar. 9,1943

2,334,092 Hickey Nov. 9, 1943 2,334,094 Hickey Nov. 9, 1943 2,417,216 Sayre Mar. 11,1947 

